Medvedev Slams Lukashenko over Abkhaz, S.Ossetia Position

Civil.Ge -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that actions and statements of his counterpart from Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, including over the issue of recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was "dishonorable".

Medvedev slammed Lukashenko in a video blog posted on the Kremlin website on October 3, following Lukashenko's statement a day earlier, that Minsk refused to recognize Georgia's two breakaway regions because MOSCOW refused to share negative consequences, expected for Belarus from the West in case of such decision.

"This issue has turned into subject of permanent political horse-trading. But Russia does not trade with its principles," Medvedev said in his video blog.

"This is dishonorable behavior and partners do not act like this. Of course, we will take it into consideration while building our relations with the current President of Belarus."

"I have stated for number of times: recognition or non-recognition of these two new states is a sovereign right of any country and we have never pressed on anybody to do so. Though, we are not indifferent towards this issue," Medvedev said.

He said Russia was providing huge assistance to Belarus. He said Minsk was able to save USD 2 billion only this year through purchase of Russian oil under discount price. Medvedev said it was "strange" that the Belarus leadership started "anti-Russian rhetoric."

Medvedev also said that creating image of external enemy by the Belarus leadership was not a new development, but if previously the West was used for this purpose, "now it is Russia, which is declared as main enemy."

"In his remarks President Lukashenko goes beyond not only of diplomatic rules, but of elementary human politeness," Medvedev said.